Recruitment for Sikkim Scouts to begin in March 2013, battalion in place by 2015

GANGTOK, 30 Dec: Sikkim is soon going to have its own military unit in the form of “Sikkim Scouts”. The Ministry of Defence has approved the proposal to raise the Sikkim Scouts battalion which will be completed by 2015. Following the same, the Rajya Sainik Board has already begun work on facilitating the process.
Addressing a press conference today, Rajya Sainik Board Secretary, Col DN Bhutia, detailed actions being taken to raise the Sikkim Scouts Battalion.
He explained that the idea behind raising a Battalion comprising of ‘sons of the soil’ emerged immediately after the 1962 Indo-China war where the forces engaged in action found it difficult to gain local information and intelligence in terms of enemy activities due to language problems and lack of adequate knowledge about the local topography. It was then that the Ladakh Scouts was raised, a force which delivered exceptionally well during the Kargil war.
The Secretary informed that the recruiting process will begin in the first week of March 2013, and initially, around 170 to 180 recruits will be enrolled to undergo military training at the designated Training Centre as per directions from the Army Headquarters.
“This will be besides the normal recruitment of Sikkimese youth to regular Gorkha Infantry Battalions”, he added. The dates and duration for recruitment will be from 01 to 06 March next year.
Col Bhutia mentioned that many are associating the Scouts Battalion with the concept of Scouts & Guides in schools, which he clarified was not so. He informed that the Sikkim Scouts Battalion will be raised and organized on the lines of an Infantry unit with its five companies with Battalion HQs, trained and equipped to take on operational role like any other Infantry unit in the event of hostilities.
“Sikkim Scouts Battalion will be deployed in the high altitude regions of Sikkim and will comprise of more than 80% of its manpower drawn and enrolled from Sikkim,” he informed.
“The credit for realizing the dream of having a Sikkim Scouts Battalion goes to the untiring efforts put in by the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling to convince the central authorities time and again since 2005,” said Col Bhutia. On behalf of all ex–servicemen, serving soldiers and the public in general, the Secretary conveyed gratitude to the Chief Minister.
“It is going to create a major job opportunity and employment to local youth. It will also generate a culture of discipline and unity not only among the troops but this will get inducted into the psyche of local people since the Battalion will be stationed in Sikkim,” he stressed.
The physical standards and the educational qualifications required will be the same as that of normal recruitment for Infantry Battalion. However, if there are any changes, the same will be communicated to the public well in advance, he mentioned.
He also urged those boys who had qualified in all the physical tests but could not make it through written exam during the last Recruitment Rally to come forward again since they are now confident that they can pass all the physical tests. It is informed that like last time, the coaching classes for written exam will also be conducted in a more refined manner. He called upon all young boys to come forward and join our own Sikkim Battalion.